Felix Manalo (2015 film)

The late Brother Felix Y. Manalo first preached the Iglesia ni Cristo in Manila with its first local congregation was established in Punta, Sta. Ana and registered with the Philippine government on the 27th of July, 1914. A year later, Brother Felix Manalo is named as the first Executive Minister of the Church. Now, the membership of the INC comprises of 110 nationalities, 104 ecclesiastical districts in the Philippines and a hundred more nations worldwide.

The folks from VIVA Films have created, for some unknown reasons, a biopic depicting the man who became Brother Felix Manalo, the forefather of one of the Philippines most influential religious organizations known as Iglesia Ni Cristo. Directed by Joel Lamangan, this biopic stars Dennis Trillo as the late Brother Felix Manalo as well as Bela Padilla, Gabby Concepcion, among many others. This film highlights the life and times of Felix Manalo from his childhood to how the INC was established.

Although this film promises moviegoers, especially those who are part of the controversial religious group that has been making the headlines up to now, to discover Felix Manalo like they've never knew him before, the storyline can be somewhat bitter and it feels like it doesn't make the cut as what the other biopic of an influential Filipino everyone knew in the history books, but this is still a film about Felix Manalo that you won't really find his life from the pages of history as they speak and even though this film has some flaws, this Felix Manalo movie is trying hard to give cinemagoers how his life unfolds into the man every INC followers know.

Judging by the way this film goes, there are some inescapable truth you may need to know about the Felix Manalo film because when this film was premiered at the Philippine Arena, it had set a new world record for the largest audience for a film premiere and largest audience for a film screening. Perhaps no wonder a film about the man who established the most influential religious organization in the world attracted so many people but is it their faith that influenced most people to watch that film? No one knows but this is a religious film that deserves to have a mark on Philippine cinema as well as on the history of the most influential Filipinos in history. Whether if you're INC or not, bear that in mind that this film is not made for propaganda purposes or for profit because what the INC spoke of is this film is made for everyone who want to learn more about the late Brother Felix Manalo and that's the end of it.

My rating: 3.1 out of 5.